Love and Loyalty
by Epilachna
Summary: Soren's loyalty to Kraven is called into question in the days leading up to the Awakening. To ensure Soren will stick to the plan, Lucian takes Soren's most prized possession hostage. A look at Lucian and Soren's past, and the obsession they shared.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"We have a problem."

Lucian glared at the vampire. He had only been in the city two days and Kraven was already making house calls. "Everything is running smoothly on my end, _cousin_, so the problem must be yours."

"It's Soren," Kraven continued, ignoring Lucian's slight. "He's expressed some – _reservations_ – about our plans for the Elders."

"Has he?" Lucian snapped, his temper shorter than ever. He had important matters to attend to and dealing with Kraven's incompetence was not what he had in mind. "You should learn to keep your house in order, Kraven. In lycan society, every man, woman and child knows their place. There is no dissention, no disloyalty. If one of the pack disagrees with the way I do things, he challenges me, I kill him, and order is restored. "

"Things are not so simple with vampires," was Kraven's curt reply.

"He's _your_ lieutenant," Lucian said, placing the blame squarely where it belonged. If it were not for the seriousness of the situation, he would have found Kraven's inability to inspire loyalty in his subordinates quite laughable. He was not laughing now.

"I know that!" the vampire shouted. He did not need Lucian to remind him. "I just think we need to make sure he doesn't change his mind at the last minute."

Lucian sat himself on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms - all to prevent himself from strangling his guest to death. "Do you have a plan?"

Kraven easily interpreted the lycan's body language. He knew Lucian's anger was dangerously close to breaking free. "As a matter of fact, I do, but I don't think you'll have the stomach for it."

Lucian was more than a little surprised by Kraven's boast. After so many centuries, there was very little the lycan master could not stomach. "Why is that, exactly?"

Kraven reached into his inside coat pocket and withdrew a manila envelope. He pulled out a photograph and handed it to Lucian.

The image was more disturbing than Lucian had imagined. He beheld a woman – a vampire, obviously, slender and pale, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. She looked so much like …

"Even Victor says she reminds him of his daughter," Kraven said, interrupting Lucian's thoughts, "if only in appearance."

A wave of fury rose within Lucian, forcing back the painful memories the woman's image awakened. His eyes hardened along with his heart. '_She is not Sonja,' _he reminded himself._ 'Sonja is dead.'_

"Who is she?" Lucian asked when he finally regained the ability to speak.

"She's Soren's," Kraven stated simply.

Lucian's smile was cold, unkind. "Soren's pet?" he sneered.

Kraven shook his head. "His _life_," the vampire replied. "Soren would die for her."

"Or kill for her?" Lucian knew better than most that the two often went hand in hand.

Kraven merely nodded.

Lucian's anger with Kraven lessened slightly. The truth was, he hated Soren, as much as he hated Victor. Causing the vampire even the slightest measure of pain would be a pleasure, and if it served to ensure events went off as planned, all the better. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to have a bit of leverage on Soren – if you feel it necessary."

Kraven obviously believed it was. He pulled more photographs from the envelope. "On Thursday evenings she attends an art and poetry night at a local club," he said.

"Poetry?" Lucian nearly laughed.

Kraven ignored him. "It was a salon up until the mid 20th century. Soren met her there in eighteen ... forty-something." He passed Lucian a photo of the club with the address scrawled on the back.

That bit of news piqued Lucian's interest. Most of the vampires alive today were born, not made. Lucian considered their dislike for turning mortals to be yet another example of vampire snobbery. "He turned her, as well?"

"Yes," Kraven replied, then handed Lucian a photograph containing two men. "He won't let her leave the house alone. Thomas and Alexi escort her everywhere. You'll have to take them out."

Lucian did not bother to conceal his amusement. "Not friends of yours, I take it?"

Kraven's hardened expression was answer enough. "They're dispensable," he replied.

"I suppose you'll want me to take the credit for this little plan," Lucian said. "You wouldn't want Soren to know you had a lycan abduct his love."

Kraven was not amused by the lycan's thinly veiled threat, but after six centuries he had come to know the man all too well. Lucian wouldn't do anything to compromise his goal, even if it meant covering Kraven's ass. He tossed the envelope onto Lucian's desk. _Their _problem was _Lucian's_ problem now. He strode to the door, calling over his shoulder as he went.

"You think right."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They all knew the plan. Pierce and Taylor would take out Thomas, Trix and Sasha, Alexi, and Raze would snatch the woman while her bodyguards were occupied. It was simple enough, but Raze was unusually silent on the ride downtown. Lucian took a seat beside his second and waited patiently for the larger man to share what was on his mind.

"He'll know my scent," said Raze after a time, his voice a low rumble.

Lucian smiled. "I'm counting on it." If this woman was as important to Soren as Kraven claimed, he would come looking for her soon enough. Raze's scent mixed with hers would be as good as a ransom note.

Raze was not entirely sure that baiting Soren was a wise plan, but he, too, could think of no better way to threaten the vampire without giving the game away. All the Death Dealers would know was that three of their own had been attacked. Only Soren would know why they had been targeted. But still, it made him uncomfortable. Raze was not blind, after all. He noticed the resemblance this woman bore to Lucian's wife the moment he saw the photograph. He had seen her likeness before in the memories Lucian had passed to him. Raze knew it was no coincidence that Soren had chosen this pale imitation of Sonja as his mate, or that Lucian made no mention of it now. He only prayed that this little complication would not distract his lord from their goal, now so near at hand.

"Think of it this way," Lucian said, amusement brightening his eyes, "at least now you'll have earned his hate."

Raze chuckled lightly. Lucian always did have a way of finding the bright side of any situation.

* * *

Magda applauded the final performer. His talent was truly commendable. She should know, having listened to more aspiring poets over the last two centuries than she could count. Glancing to her right, she saw Alexi checking his watch. She almost pitied him, and Thomas. They hated her taste in just about everything, but still, they never left her side.

"You didn't have to sit here the entire night if you thought it that boring," she said to Alexi.

Alexi looked up guiltily. He had not intended for her to see him checking the time.

Thomas, seated opposite the two, merely laughed. "Of course he didn't. He could have taken in a movie at the theater down the street – if he wanted Soren to rip out his spine."

Magda shook her head. Thomas was forever making up wild stories about Soren. "You always exaggerate," she chided, but Thomas' arched brow told her precisely what he thought her assessment.

The lighting in the club changed when the music began. The strobes flashed hypnotically and the young mortals moved to the electronic rhythm, laughing, playing. Magda envied them, envied their freedom and their innocence. She wanted to dance with them, but instead she watched from the shadows, _always_ from the shadows. She watched the bodies sway, and the many hands caress warm, soft flesh that was not their own. She wanted to touch their skin and taste them but it was forbidden, and so she never danced. She did not want to be tempted.

Magda stood gracefully, her eyes flashing in the darkness. "Time to go," she said quietly and headed for the door, her companions trailing close behind.

* * *

The vampires emerged from the club at half past midnight. The lycans were already in place – Trix and Taylor on the roof, ready to pounce, their partners on the ground along with Raze, trailing the trio a safe distance behind. Lucian was ready with their escape. He could not risk one of the older Death Dealers recognizing his scent. It was now a matter of timing, hitting the men simultaneously, before they could pull a weapon and level the odds. Raze fixed his sights on the woman. She was physically no match for him and would not be a problem so long as the others did their jobs. The vampires headed down a nearby ally where the lycans had previously tracked their scent. The trap was set, ready to be sprung, in five, four, three, two …

The leap Taylor and Trix took from the rooftop could not have been more precise. There was no time for the vampires to draw their weapons. By the time they heard the ferocious growl of their opponents, Alexi and Thomas were already on the ground.

Magda screamed as she was thrown forward unexpectedly by Thomas, who saw their attackers a second too late. She rose to her knees, and watched in horror as her companions wrestled with men who were slowly transforming into beasts.

"Run!" Thomas shouted at her, then threw the lycan off his back and into the wall.

Magda ran – harder and faster than she had in her entire life. She could hear the howls, the screams. She was young by the measure of vampires, turned long after the days when the covens possessed lycan slaves. All her life she had dwelled within the safety of Victor's walls, protected by Soren and the Death Dealers. She had never seen a lycan before this night. Magda ran, and would have kept running forever if a man the size of a mountain had not appeared in her path.

"You're not going anywhere," Raze told her. He was slightly out of breath. She was fast, he had to give her that, but fear made her scent easy to track. He raced ahead of her down a neighboring alley and cut off her escape, some miles beyond where the chase began.

Magda hissed at the lycan, her eyes flashing blue, her fangs bared. She took one step backward, then another. Logic told her she would not be able to escape him, but instinct screamed at her to run.

Raze growled in dark amusement. She had spirit, this one, but it would make little difference. His only real concern was that the woman would do something foolish, like attack him. She couldn't do him any real damage, but Lucian did not want her harmed. He could not promise that if she decided to put up a fight. He took one step forward for each step she took back, circling so that her back was to the wall. "Don't make me hurt you," he warned, taking one step closer. He reached out his hand.

Magda was faster. She swiped at him, raking his face with nails sharp as knives.

Raze howled in fury, though the scratches barely registered as pain. He had given her fair warning, but she had chosen to make this difficult. In one fluid motion Raze seized the troublesome creature by the throat, slammed her head into the wall and knocked her out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Soren was no longer listening to Khan's report. He stared out the window, his gaze fixed on the mansion gate. It was five past one in the morning – that made them ten minutes late. The drive home from the club took exactly twenty-five minutes _if _Thomas caught every red light. Thomas never caught every light, in fact, he frequently ran them. Soren excused himself, and pulled out his cell to call Magda. She did not answer. He called Thomas next, and then Alexi. No answer from anyone.

Kraven watched his lieutenant out of the corner of his eye. He knew why the man was distracted. He, too, had been keeping an eye on the time. When the moment was right, Kraven stopped Kahn mid-sentence with a raised hand and addressed Soren, who had moved to the far corner of the room. "What's the problem, Soren?" he asked, knowing full well what his answer would be.

Soren closed the phone and slipped it back in his pocket. "Magda's late," he replied, "she should've been back by now, and Thomas and Alexi aren't answering their phones."

Kahn did his best to master his annoyance. He was actually being interrupted, for _this?_ "They could have them turned off. They _were_ at a show."

Soren shook his head, dismissing the suggestion. His men knew better than that. "Thomas knows never to turn off his phone."

Kraven thought it best to side with Kahn. Ten minutes was not long enough for him to share Soren's concern. "I'm sure they just stopped somewhere."

"They wouldn't stop without calling me," Soren replied.

Kahn nearly laughed, but bit his tongue instead. It was too early in the evening to be thrown through Kraven's window.

Soren took no notice of Kahn. His attention was on his lord. "Permission to form a search team?" he asked.

Kraven glanced briefly to Kahn, who clearly thought Soren was overreacting. He turned back to Soren, his expression betraying nothing. "Alright," he said, reluctantly, "but give them an hour, I don't want to hear the Death Dealers complaining about chasing shadows."

Soren was not happy about being asked to wait, but he said nothing. He nodded once, and then left to assemble his men.

Kahn continued with his report.

* * *

Ten minutes later Selene arrived at the shooting gallery. There was a small commotion. Several members of Soren's team were suiting up. She spied Kahn at his desk, looking annoyed. She sidled up beside him and leaned close. "What's going on?" she whispered, so the others would not overhear.

Kahn smiled up at the woman. "Magda hasn't returned to the mansion," he replied. "She was due back at one."

Selene glanced at the clock on the wall and arched a brow. "Twenty minutes ago? "she asked, her expression a match for Kahn's. "Overreacting, isn't he?"

Kahn merely shrugged.

Selene's eyes followed Soren as he moved from one shelf to another, arming himself and his team. She smiled blithely. "Maybe Magda finally grew tired of him and ran off with one of her guards."

Kahn shot her a warning look, the one he reserved just for her when her mouth ran away with her.

Selene brushed Kahn's silent warning aside. "Oh, come on," she said, her eyes flashing with amusement. "You were thinking the same thing."

Kahn was not about to tell Selene she was right, so he went back to his work. Selene continued to watch Soren. The tense lines of his face spoke louder than words the depths of his concern. She felt guilty, if only for a moment, for not taking the disappearance of three members of her house more seriously. A second later she was picking up a pair of pistols from the case behind Kahn's desk.

Kahn turned, watching her load and stow his newly cleaned weaponry. "What are you doing?"

It was Selene's turn to shrug. "I like Magda," she said, defensively, "and besides, I haven't killed a lycan in years." _Two years, six months and three days, to be exact._

Selene grabbed two more mags and headed to where Soren and his men had gathered. "Are you boys ready?" she asked, though her question was directed at Soren.

Soren was surprised by Selene's sudden appearance. She was no friend of his, but she was a great tracker and marksman, a calm head and steady hand in a fight. If they encountered Lucian's men tonight, he might need her. His decision made, Soren accepted Selene's assistance with a silent nod.

* * *

Soren divided the team into pairs. Selene was with Soren. She didn't question his decision, but wondered if Kraven had requested he keep her by his side. It wouldn't have surprised her. Kraven was forever treating her like a child lacking guidance. They circled the outside of the club, searching for a scent. At the door Soren breathed deeply and turned east.

"She was here," he said, and took off at a swift pace down the street. Selene followed.

A few blocks away Soren turned down a darkened alley. It reeked of blood. Nathaniel and Zeke were already there, hunched over two prone figures.

Nathaniel looked up at the new arrivals. "Lycans," he told them. There was nothing else to say.

Selene scanned the shadows with keen eyes. _Two bodies._ Where was the third? Magda wasn't here and Soren, too, was well aware of that fact. She watched him as he took off down the alley.

Zeke rose swiftly to his feet. "Soren!" he called, and started after his captain.

Selene was faster. "I'm with him," she called over her shoulder, leaving Zeke and Nathaniel to deal with the dead. She followed the sound of Soren's footsteps. He followed Magda's scent.

The trail ended several miles away in a mixture of blood and fear. It was a cloud hanging over the alley. Soren stood in its midst, seeking the source. He scanned the narrow corridor, the smell of blood drawing him to the wall. He lifted a hand to touch a dark stain and brought his fingers to his lips. It was Magda's blood, Magda's fear flooding the alley – but she was not here. Soren vaguely registered Selene's presence behind him. She, too, searched the alley in vain. They were alone, but there _was_ something else in the alley with them, another scent Soren knew all too well – Lucian's dog, Raze. He had been here, in this alley with Magda. He was the cause of her fear, and her blood splattered on the wall.

Selene watched Soren's movements from several paces off. Few in the coven could claim to have seen the ancient warrior in such a state. The man was rightly described as cold, detached, but this was one instance for which that description did not hold. Selene, for her part, had always regarded Soren's relationship with Magda as one of power and control. It occurred to her in that moment that she might have been mistaken, for he looked now like a man whose heart had been torn in two.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

Soren threw open the doors to his lord's private study. He didn't even bother to knock. That alone was fair warning of the state he was in.

Kraven was startled by the violent entry, despite the fact he knew Soren was on his way. He rose from his seat. "What happened?" Kraven asked, feigning concern.

"Thomas and Alexi are dead," Soren answered quickly.

"And Magda?" Kraven asked.

"He took her," Soren yelled.

Kraven lifted his hands, signaling for Soren to lower his voice. "Who took her?" he asked.

"Raze!" Soren hissed. He began to pace the length of the desk, his furious emotions set free in the privacy of Kraven's rooms.

The sight of Soren's anger unrestrained was disturbing, even to Kraven, who had known him for a millennium. Victor's head torturer was feared for having unparalleled control, though most would consider the raging beast in Kraven's office equally terrifying. For a moment Kraven regretted this plan he passed on to Lucian. If the lycan ever did let slip to Soren his part in Magda's abduction, Kraven would find himself with a new enemy as deadly as Victor.

"Calm down," Kraven said, though he did not expect the man to comply. "I'll call a meeting."

Soren continued to seethe. "I'll _kill_ them," he growled.

"Not yet," Kraven snapped back.

Those words brought Soren's pacing to a halt, a mask of shock on his face.

Kraven's expression was hard, unyielding. "The awakening is less than two weeks away. After that, we won't need them anymore."

Soren shook his head, tried to argue. "My lord…," he began, but whatever argument Soren was about to make was silenced by Kraven's raised hand. Soren shut his mouth and waited for whatever it was his lord wished to say.

Kraven circled his desk so that he stood before Soren and placed a hand on his shoulder. He leaned in close, speaking with his lieutenant as the conspirators they were from the start. "Two weeks," he said. "We'll get Magda back, and when they've served their purpose, you'll have Lucian – _and_ his dog – just as I promised."

* * *

The dark, cramped cell contained two makeshift cots. Lucian sat on one of them. The vampire lay sprawled on the other, still unconscious. Raze placed her there when they arrived and Lucian seated himself across from her. He'd intended to stay for only a minute to check her condition, but found himself unable to lay a hand on her. There was no need to, really. Her breathing was steady. The head wound would heal. There was no reason to touch her at all.

He could have taken off her coat, of course, or her shoes, if he was inclined to make her comfortable. Or he might have pulled the hem of her dress down to cover her knees, where it belonged. He didn't. He couldn't. He couldn't get that close. Instead he studied her; every detail from head to toe that could be distinguished in the dim light and the few feet that separated them.

Her hair was too light – three shades or more. It was more like wheat than the rich, strawberry color he remembered. Her face was too round, her eyes, too oval, her lips and nose too narrow. She was taller, too, by perhaps three inches, too thin as well. She had the body of a dancer not a warrior. She was nothing like his Sonja,_ nothing_.

Lucian kept repeating that thought silently to himself as the minutes ticked by, and yet he still could not bring himself to touch her.

A shadow fell across the woman's face. A deep voice interrupted the meditative silence of the cell. Raze stood in the doorway. He'd spent ten minutes searching the den for Lucian, only to find him here, in the vampire's cell. "She's still out?" he asked.

"Yes," Lucian replied, then turned his attention to Raze. The look Lucian gave him was not a pleasant one. "Tell me Raze, what part of _'be gentle'_ did you not understand?"

Raze bristled slightly at Lucian's tone. "I warned her," he replied, indignant, "but she attacked me."

Lucian's smile was not the least bit understanding as he appraised the faded marks on Raze's face. "I know," he said, "and those scratches must have been quite a blow to your ego." Lucian's mocking tone told his lieutenant _exactly _what he thought of his excuse.

Raze wasn't at all amused, but while he considered his actions perfectly reasonable, he was not about to argue the point. He did, however, note that Lucian had been sitting in the very same spot since they locked the vampire in the cell – nearly two hours ago. "Are you going to sit here and watch her all night?" Raze asked.

Lucian's eyes flew to Raze's face and he fixed the man with a threatening glare. That question was far too bold and contained several subtle layers of accusation. Lucian was not about to give him an answer. "What time is it?" he asked instead.

"What …?" Raze replied, thrown by the abrupt change of subject.

"The time, Raze, what is _the_ _time_?" Lucian snapped. He was already on edge, and the night was not yet over.

Fortunately, Raze was long accustomed to Lucian's quick tempter. While others in the pack dared not avert their eyes when the lycan master was in a mood, Raze looked down at his watch. "Almost three," he answered.

Lucian nodded once. He felt a twinge of guilt for being short with his second, he had, after all, been sitting here in the dark for almost two hours, but he wasn't about to apologize. It was not the lycan way. Instead, he took several slow, calming breaths to regain his composure and prepare himself for the 'performance' ahead. The very thought of dealing with Soren on top of all his other carefully laid plans was exhausting.

"We'll be hearing from Kraven soon," he muttered.

Raze's only response was a low growl. It spoke volumes of his opinion about the traitorous vampire, and had the added effect of waking their guest.

"And it looks like sleeping beauty is waking," Lucian said without thinking. Both men watched the vampire stir. She _was_ waking, and Lucian didn't want Raze with him when she did. "Wait for me upstairs," he commanded, and Raze obeyed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Magda's head ached terribly, and for a second, she wondered why. The memories flooded back to her the instant she opened her eyes. She was someplace dark, water dripped from the ceiling. She could hear howls coming from above, the sound of beasts – the sound of lycans. The smallest movement from the shadow caught her eye and she bolted upright, backing herself into the corner, ready to strike. She immediately regretted her actions. The room spun, and her head felt ready to explode.

Lucian remained silent as the vampire came to. She was still, calm, lying there in the darkness, taking account of her surroundings – until he moved his arm. He was mildly impressed by the speed with which she righted herself, despite the injury to her head. He guessed that she regretted the movement as well, for her hands rose swiftly to cradle her head. "You should have listened to Raze," he said quietly. "He rarely remembers his own strength."

Magda's eyes focused on the man seated across from her. She could see him clearly, despite the dim light and her aching skull. He was lounging against the wall, one foot perched upon the cot. His posture was not aggressive. He was waiting for her to speak. She did not recognize his face, but that should not have surprised her. He was no vampire.

Magda had many things she would have liked to say to the beast before her, but the first thing that fell from her lips was: "Where are Alexi and Thomas?"

The question surprised Lucian. He had waited patiently for the vampire to speak, having learned long ago that a prisoner's first words spoke volumes about his character. The Death Dealers as a whole were not known for their compassion. They never asked about 'the others'. This prisoner, however, was not a warrior – she was a civilian – if there _was _such a thing in this conflict. The vampires never distinguished between civilians and combatants when they wiped out a lycan den.

"They're dead, of course," he said without kindness or malice.

Magda was horrified by his answer, but she was not sure what troubled her more, his words, or the emotionless tone in which they were delivered. "Why?" she asked.

"Why?" Lucian echoed. He would have laughed at the question, if not for the horror in the woman's eyes. She must have lived a sheltered life in that great mansion of Victor's, not to know the answer. Or perhaps she heard the tales, but was too great a fool to believe them. "I wasn't aware lycans and vampires needed a reason to kill each other."

Magda swallowed hard, aware of the unspoken threat held within those words. Her captors would not need a _reason_ to kill her, they would hurt her _because_ she was a vampire. She took that moment to scan the room, if that's what the cramped space could be called. Her gaze lifted to the ceiling, and the sound of movement above. They were somewhere underground, if the smell of the air was any indication. "Where are we?" she asked.

Lucian followed the woman's gaze to the ceiling. The vampire knew they were underground – he was not about to tell her precisely where. "Your new home," he answered, and held out his hands, gesturing to her current surroundings. "I always keep a room ready for unexpected guests."

Magda was not about to call this dungeon 'home'. It was a prison, and she was a prisoner – not a guest – but for how long? She remembered the lycan who cornered her in the alley. She had been certain when he appeared before her that her life was at an end. "Why didn't he kill me?" she asked.

"Raze?" Lucian mouth curled in a smile that was far from kind. "Maybe he wanted to play with you first."

His words had their intended effect. Magda tensed. Her eyes flew to the open door, seeking an escape.

Lucian shook his head in warning. "You'll never make it," he said, "and besides, there are more than a hundred lycan warriors out there. Trust me, you're safer in here."

Magda's gaze shifted from the door to the ceiling. The howls seemed to grow louder the harder she listened. She leaned back into the wall. This lycan, whoever he was, might enjoy frightening her – but his threats were laced with words of warning. There was danger outside this door. He wanted her to know that.

"Who are you?" Magda asked.

Lucian smiled. He wondered when she would come around to asking. "I'm Lucian," he replied.

Magda's brow arched. If the lycan truly wished to frighten her, he would have to try harder than that. She knew her history, forward and back. "Lucian," she said, her tone mocking. "Do you think me a fool?"

"Should I?" Lucian asked, laughter flashing in his eyes. "And your name is?"

Magda remained silent, trying to decide whether or not to answer him.

Lucian knew the woman was wary, and for good reason, but he wanted her name. It was the one bit of information Kraven had failed to give him. The lycan master knew of at least one thing, short of violence, that might draw the answer from her. "Come now," he said, "I'd like to know what to call you when I speak with Soren."

Magda's shock at hearing the lycan speak that name was clear as the night sky. "Soren?"

Lucian nodded. "He'll be looking for you by now, won't he?" he asked. "I'm sure he'll be pounding on my door any minute."

A moment ago, Magda had feared for her life, but now confusion overwhelmed her. Soren was a Death Dealer, a loyal servant of Victor's house. He would not know this place, this lycan. He would not break the covenant. _But if that was true, how did the lycan know his name?_ Magda tried to wrap her mind around the Lucian's words._ It could not be coincidence._ "You know Soren?" she asked.

"Intimately," Lucian replied, a wave of hatred flooding his heart_,_ seeping into the timbre of his voice.

Magda shook her head in disbelief, despite the lycan's fervent reply. There was no way Soren knew this creature. The covenant forbid it. "I don't believe you," she said, but there was uncertainty in her voice.

"Why would I lie?" Lucian replied. The lycan master stood then, in one graceful, fluid motion. The vampire flinched. He could not help but notice. "So, who do I tell Soren is in my care?"

The tension in Magda's face and form lessened slightly. It was a question, this, not a threat. She did not have to answer, but if by some chance he spoke true, and Soren was on his way... "Magda," she answered. "My name is Magda."

"Magda." Lucian smiled. "Make yourself at home. You'll be with us for awhile." He tuned then and left the cell, locking the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lucian locked the door to the vampire's cell. The door was solid, its hinges strong. It would take a considerable amount of force to tear it from the wall. He was not worried about the vampire trying to escape. She heard his warning. The lock was merely a precaution in case one of his own was tempted to break in.

Lucian climbed the stair and closed himself inside his makeshift office. He sat down heavily, his thoughts on Magda and their brief conversation. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She was afraid, but not so much so that she feared calling him a liar. Still, she swallowed his threats. Sonja would not have suffered such intimidations; she would have ripped out his throat instead. But that was long ago, in a different time, when lycans were slaves and there was nothing in this world a vampire had to fear. Magda was right to be afraid, and Lucian preferred it that way. When her eyes shone with fear she looked even less like his wife, who, even in those last terrible moments of life, looked on him with love.

Raze stuck his head through the door a few minutes later, informing him of Kraven and Soren's arrival. Lucian growled to himself. He would have to have a talk with Kraven about 'office hours'. The vampire was becoming far too comfortable calling on him at home.

The door swung open and Kraven strode through the door, Soren a step behind him, looking like a beast straining at the leash. "Kraven," Lucian stood to greet the vampire, ignoring Soren as a matter of course.

"Surprised to see us?" Kraven asked, his anger barely contained.

Lucian smirked. "Not at all," he said, and perched on his desk. He was waiting to see how the vampire intended to play out this scene. Kraven's aggressive posturing was for Soren's benefit, no doubt.

Kraven returned Lucian's words with a vicious sneer. "Two of my men were attacked tonight," he said in accusation.

"Two?" Lucian asked, and shifted his gaze to Soren. "Don't you mean three?" Lucian nearly laughed at the murderous glare he received from the vampire. This encounter was becoming far too much fun.

"Where is she?" Soren hissed.

"Magda?" Lucian used her name for Soren's benefit. He let it roll off his tongue, as if he and the lady were good friends. "She's safe," he said, "for now."

"I suppose I don't have to tell you we want her back," Kraven said, taking a step closer to Lucian as if his greater height was any threat.

"Oh, I think we'll be keeping her here – until our work together is done," Lucian replied.

"Unacceptable," Soren spat.

Lucian rose from his seat and advanced on Soren with slow, measured steps. When he was an arm's length from the man, he spoke – an accusation he was certain burned even now in Soren's heart. "You should've kept your pet on a shorter leash, if you were so concerned for her welfare."

Soren lunged at the lycan, but was restrained by Kraven mid-stride.

Lucian laughed in Soren's face while Kraven held him. It did not take much effort on Kraven's part. Soren was no fool. He calmed himself quickly, knowing he would never leave this den with Magda if he struck the lycan master down. His calm restored, Kraven relaxed his hold on his lieutenant's arms but did not release him.

Lucian turned his attention to Kraven. "You'll have her back," he said, "when the Elders are dead." Then he turned to Soren, eying the man with a mixture of contempt and amusement. "Would you like to see her?" he asked, offering the man an opportunity he was not likely to refuse. And offering _himself _the chance to see Soren and Magda together.

Soren was not so proud as to refuse Lucian's offer, despite the lycan's obvious pleasure in baiting him. He nodded in reply.

Lucian gestured for the man to follow him, to Kraven he said, "Wait here."

Soren followed Lucian's lead. It took a great deal of self control not to strike the lycan from behind. He led them down a dark corridor and stair to a dimly lit hall. There was a door at the far end that Lucian unlocked. He opened it and stepped inside.

Magda looked up at sound of footsteps approaching. A moment later the door to her cell opened and the lycan who called himself Lucian entered. "Look what I found," he said before stepping aside.

A man stepped into the doorway, his face and form unmistakable to her eyes. "Soren?" Magda cried in shock and desperation.

Soren covered the distance between them, pulling her into his arms, crushing her against him possessively. He breathed in her scent. It was dominated by fear and dried blood. Registering the smell of blood, he released her, his hands roaming across her face, searching for its source. There was blood on the side of her face and her hair was matted, but the injury was already gone.

Magda clung to Soren, her fingers clutching his coat as he surveyed her face. There was rage in his eyes and it frightened her. She had never seen her lover like this. She had not dared to hope that Soren was actually coming for her, but here he was, right now, beneath her hands.

"How?" she asked him, and for the first time Soren looked into her eyes.

Magda spoke again, a single word, but the answer was far too complicated for Soren to answer. He hushed her, and leaning close, covered her mouth with his, his hands cradling her face.

Lucian stood in the doorway watching all of this, every move Soren made. His careful inventory of her wounds, the gentle hands that touched her skin, and the kiss…. Lucian could not say what it was that made such simple gestures feel like daggers to his heart. Maybe it was the way Soren held her – so possessively. Or the way he touched her – gently and with such care. Or the way his mouth claimed hers – desperately. It might have been all these things and more. Or, it might have been that the form he held, the skin he touched, and the mouth he kissed were far too much like Sonja's for Lucian to bear.

Magda drew away from Soren's kiss, looking over his shoulder at the lycan standing in the door. "He knew you would come," she whispered.

"Of course," Soren replied, taking her chin in his hand and returning her attention to his face.

Magda saw it then, something in Soren's eyes that told her this nightmare was not yet over. His words confirmed it.

"There is something I must do," he said, "before I can take you home."

"What?" Magda asked. She did not want to stay in this place any longer. An hour had been long enough.

Soren shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said, dismissing her question. "It will be done, and you'll be freed. At the full moon, I'll come for you." His eyes pleaded with her to trust him, and when he saw acceptance in hers, he kissed her again, and in a voice too quiet for Lucian to hear, he whispered, "I love you."

Soren withdrew, and wiped the tears from Magda's eyes before he stood. He strode purposefully from the room, his face a cold and deadly mask. Magda watched him go, watched the lycan follow him, and the door close behind them. Once again, she was alone.

Soren strode to the end of the hall, listening to the sound of Lucian locking the cell door. When the lycan came up behind him he turned, so he stood face to face with his enemy. "If anything happens to her," he said, "you'll die slowly, by my hand, as you should've done centuries ago."

Lucian responded to the challenge with a grin. He did not fear Soren, and was greatly amused by how free his tongue became when Kraven was not there to silence him. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he said, knowing full well how much Soren would enjoy ripping him apart. The old Death Dealer was an artist when it came to pain. Only one vampire surpassed him in cruelty, and that was Viktor – Viktor, who ruled over the covens when Magda was turned, whose permission Soren would have needed to make her his.

It was a strange thought, that, and led Lucian to question. "I can't help but wonder why Viktor let you have her, this pale imitation of his daughter. Was she meant as a gift, or a punishment?"

Soren's expression revealed nothing. He turned and ascended the steps, leaving Lucian behind without an answer.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ So, how are you liking my story so far? I know Rush and Bella are enjoying it, a couple others have left comments, and people are reading it, but alas, the bulk of my readers remain silent. Reviews are welcome. They are the only payment I get, but please avoid 'good job' - I am a staunch supporter of banning the phrase. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Selene awoke early, before the sun was set, as was her custom. She liked to be ready for the hunt the moment night fell. Kraven had authorized the Death Dealers to form surveillance teams and locate the filthy beasts responsible for the attack on Magda and her guards. She was on her way downstairs, hoping to grab some breakfast before Rigel and Nathaniel made it to the armory.

A ray of sunlight on the second floor caught Selene's eye as she descended the stair. She looked up, to find Soren standing by a window, holding his hand out into the sun. She watched him pull the hand back, touch the burnt skin, and then extend his hand again into the flame. It was a disturbing sight, to say the least, and part of Selene wanted nothing more then to continue on her way and ignore it. Some emotion – _was it sympathy? _– pulled her out onto the landing and dragged her step by step towards the smell of burnt flesh.

"Shouldn't you be doing that in private?" she asked. "People might think you've lost your mind."

Soren looked up at the sound of Selene's voice. Of all the members of the household – it had to be her who came upon him now. He was not in the mood for Selene. He was _never_ in the mood for Selene, and for the very same reason Viktor cherished the bitch. Her stubborn willfulness, which reminded Viktor so much of Sonja, was the very thing Soren had always despised in Viktor's daughter. Selene's words might well have been Sonja's. He heard within them the same air of condescension.

"Someone left the window sash open," Soren replied. He pulled the drapes closed hastily, turned and headed for the stairs.

Selene refused to let Soren escape that easily. "So, you thought you'd show the staff what happens when they're careless with the drapes?" she asked, falling into step beside him.

Soren ignored her question – at least he tried, but the damn woman refused to leave him alone. She accompanied him down the stairs.

Selene got a better look at the injury while they walked. "It looks painful," she said.

Soren glanced down at his hand. "Not painful enough," he replied.

Selene nodded. The pain would never be enough. "I understand."

It was not the response Soren wanted to hear. He glared at the woman, because she _did_ understand and he didn't want her sympathy. He would gladly trade Selene's life for Magda's – his beautiful, sweet, perfect Magda. But it wouldn't come to that. Magda would not die, Soren would see to it. If he had to kill them all, every last member of his house, he would do it.

Selene met Soren's cold gaze unflinchingly. He was angry, but at her or himself she had no way of knowing. It didn't matter, she knew it wasn't personal. "We'll find them," she assured him, "and we'll make them pay."

The sincerity in Selene's eyes cut Soren to the quick. She meant what she said to him, every word. She would help him find his revenge, if she could. Her passionate fury reminded him of Sonja, the warrior princess of vampire clan, and it made him hate her all the more.

* * *

By the following evening Singe was ready to begin and Lucian was glad to hear it. There was precious little time left. He sent one team out to collect the first candidate and another team to scout out the rest. They had to be cautious now. The disappearance of one vampire and the death of two others was not about to go unnoticed by the coven. The Death Dealers would soon be scouring the city for rogue lycans. Lucian wasn't worried about them finding his den, but he didn't want to alert the vampires to something more sinister by having the whole of his horde wandering the city streets.

While his men were carrying out his orders, Lucian sat at his desk, waiting. He seemed to be doing that a lot of late. Six centuries of preparations and now everything came down to Fate. It was little comfort to Lucian, considering how cruel she had been to him in the past. What was worse, when Lucian had nothing to do and nowhere to concentrate his thoughts, they immediately returned to the cell downstairs. And the more he thought about Soren's playmate, the angrier he became. He could not stop replaying the entirety of last night's episode in his mind. Soren holding her, Soren touching her … it was disgusting, the very idea of _that vampire_ touching his Sonja.

_But she was not Sonja,_ his reason reminded him.

Unfortunately for reason, it was no match for emotion. Magda might not be Sonja, but she was _close enough_. Close enough for Soren to remember, close enough not to forget. Lucian was certain of it – Soren had chosen Magda _because_ she reminded him of Sonja, not _despite _the fact. The old vampire never had the power over Viktor's daughter that he desired. He was her servant, despite his rank and status. It was Soren's duty to protect her, a duty Sonja made difficult at every turn. And after centuries of faithful service, Soren failed.

How the he and Sonja had laughed, each time they evaded the vampire! Sonja's disappearances drove Soren mad, but despite all his efforts, he was unable to stop her from disappearing into the night. Where she went to only she and Lucian knew. They laughed at him when they were together – away from prying eyes. They laughed, until that terrible day. The day Soren found them out, the day he revealed their secret to Viktor, the day _he_ _killed her_.

And that was it.

There were many reasons for Lucian to hate Soren, and he did, for more reasons than this. But what carried Lucian through the cold and lonely years was the thought that maybe, just maybe, he was not the one to blame for Sonja's death. And when Lucian needed the strength of rage to carry on, he would lay the blame on Soren – all of it. It didn't last forever, and the guilt Lucian suffered for his part in her demise always returned, but it never rested on him fully. Soren always bore the greater measure of it.

Tonight, as Lucian sat in his chair, remembering the way Soren kissed Magda, the way he touched her, his heart named Soren Sonja's killer. _He _was to blame for her death and nothing could bring her back. _Nothing._

How dare he try it? _How dare he!_

If Lucian had spotted Magda first, he wouldn't have even considered biting her – not for a second. The idea would never have crossed his mind. At least, that's what he told himself. He repeated it over and over again in his mind, as if echoing the words would somehow make them true.

Raze entered the room in the midst of Lucian's meditations. "Well?" Lucian asked impatiently.

"They've returned with the human," Raze replied.

Lucian was elated. It was the first piece of good news he'd had all week. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Tell Singe I'll be down to see him shortly."

It was a dismissal and Raze knew it, but still he stood in the door, a look of irritation on his face. Lucian leaned back in his chair. "Was there something else?" he asked.

Raze was mildly annoyed at Lucian's grating tone. The man really needed a vacation. "It's been twenty-four hours," he said.

_Twenty-four hours since what?_ Lucian sighed. He hated dealing with Raze when the man was being enigmatic. "Meaning?" Lucian replied.

Raze was equally annoyed at being forced to spell out his meaning. "Are you planning on feeding her?" he asked.

Lucian very nearly laughed at the question. Raze was not one to go out of his way to make the vampires they captured more comfortable, quite the opposite in fact. Still, a bit of the old honorable warrior rose in him from time to time. "Why, are you offering up an arm?"

Raze balked at the suggestion. "An arm?"

The disgust in Raze's eyes amused Lucian. The great warrior looked worried – worried he might be ordered by his lord to feed the vampire from his own veins. Lucian couldn't help but extend Raze's unease a bit longer. "We'll have to feed her somehow," Lucian replied.

Raze had another idea in mind. "There are plenty of rats."

Lucian laughed at the suggestion, but he had to admit, the idea had its own appeal. "Now there's a delicacy I'll bet she's never tried."

Lucian rose from his chair, and opening the portable fridge that stood in the corner, pulled out a bag of blood.

"You're going to waste our stores on her?" Raze asked. He was clearly displeased.

Lucian's eyes widened at the not so subtle accusation. "This one's for me," he said.

Raze's expression was incredulous. "But you don't need it," he said. Lucian had fed already, they both knew it.

Lucian shrugged and walked out the door, calling out behind him, "I do now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lucian took longer to arrive at the vampire's cell than was strictly necessary. He wasn't stalling. He wasn't. He merely took the extra time to think on the evening ahead. He would feed the vampire, make a surprise inspection of the security posts and then visit Singe to check on his progress. First things first, of course, he had to feed the vampire. It sounded simple enough. He had the bag of blood. He could toss it at her feet and be at the nearest security post in minutes.

Instead, he took a detour and picked up a bucket of water.

He remembered the blood and grime on the vampire's face, courtesy of Raze. He remembered, too, the cold fury in Soren's eyes when the Death Dealer beheld it.

Lucian carried the bucket and a spare towel to the cell, unable to fully justify his reasons for the gesture. Perhaps it was guilt for where his earlier thoughts had led him. _Are you offering up an arm?_ He'd meant it as a joke – more or less. But instead the comment brought forth memories of Sonja, of her mouth on his skin, her teeth sinking into his flesh, the pull of the blood in his veins. They were memories he'd prefer to forget, and at the same time, would do close to anything to experience one more time.

_One more time. _

But she wasn't Sonja … and feeding a vampire from one's own veins was an _intimate_ affair. What's more, he was certain Soren's mouse would refuse to drink from him. But then again, if the thirst became unbearable, she would have no choice. It gave Lucian a sick feeling a pleasure. He would let Soren know, of course. It would kill the old Death Dealer. It would cut him like a knife, like twin whips parting his flesh. And before reason could clear up Lucian's judgment and allow the fantasy to pass, he tore open the blood packet with his teeth and drained it. When the last drop passed his lips, he licked them, banishing any guilt he might feel for devouring the vampire's meal. He opened the door.

"Good evening," Lucian said as he entered the dimly lit chamber. He placed the bucket of water beside her and dropped the towel on the opposite bed.

"What is this?" Magda asked, casting her wary gaze on the bucket and its contents.

"I thought you might want to clean yourself up," Lucian replied.

Magda studied the wolf's face for any hint of danger. She saw none, none regarding the bucket of water, at least. "How kind of you."

Lucian seated himself on the cot across from his captive – the same comfy corner where he first watched her wake. She did not reach for the towel or appear inclined to do so while he was in her presence. They maintained the steady silence for awhile, each one waiting for the other to speak.

Magda broke first. "You had your people attack us … and bring me here. Why?"

Lucian was impressed by the woman's perceptiveness. _Not a complete fool, this one._ "Why?" he repeated with a mocking smile. Lucian leaned back against the wall and pondered what answer he should give her. He briefly considered telling her the truth – she would learn of Kraven's treachery soon enough. But in the end, he thought it better to wait and let things unfold in their own time. "I don't trust Soren," he admitted, "but I need him. And you're his … well … they don't like to use the word _slave _anymore, do they? But he turned you, and that means you're his. And as long as I have you, he'll do as I say."

If Magda was offended by being called a slave, she pushed the emotion aside. "And what do you want of him?" she asked, feeling bold.

Lucian was _not_ about to answer that one. Only a fool revealed his secrets before his plans had come to pass. "That's between him and me."

Magda didn't argue, seeing in the lycan's eyes what little difference it would make. She fell silent again, waiting for the beast to leave. He didn't, but merely continued to stare at her from where he sat.

"Do you know … why he chose you?" he asked at last. "I can't imagine you could remain wholly ignorant, living in Viktor's house all this time."

Magda hesitated a moment. She believed she knew what it was he was hinting at. She'd heard the tales of this creature told many times, the story of Sonja's death. The memory made her shiver, and too, the way the lycan gazed upon her, as if he knew her face even before they'd met… "They say I resemble Viktor's daughter."

"Yes, you do," Lucian replied slowly, "but the resemblance is only skin deep. I knew her. You're nothing like her." _My Sonja would never cower in a dark corner, nor give old Soren more than a fleeting glance._

"How fortunate for me," Magda said more to herself than to him.

Lucian heard her clearly enough. "Why do you say that?" he asked, though he knew the answer already.

Magda did not have the courage to look the lycan in the eye. She hugged her knees and turned her eyes to the wall. "Because I know what you did to her," she replied, her voice a whisper.

"Do you, now?" Lucian sneered. "And what is it you think you know?"

Magda wasn't prepared for the lycan's venom – or his question. She didn't want to _think_ let alone speak of the bloody horrors she'd heard told of Lucian, not with him seated so close. But the man's eyes told her she had better answer. "You butchered her," she replied, "when she spurned you."

Lucian's cool expression never wavered, despite his desire to call her accusation a lie. "If only it were that simple," he replied. "But believe me, the truth is far worse."

Lucian took that moment to rise, and seat himself again, this time beside Magda. It was too close for her comfort. Lucian could smell her fear and hear the pounding of her heart as she curled up tighter. He was not moved by her response. It was no more discomfort than she deserved, and it was not _his_ fault that she thought him Sonja's murderer. "It's been awhile since you've fed," he said. "Are you hungry?"

Anger rose in Magda at his question. It momentarily overpowered her fear. "You know I am," she snapped. It had been more than a day since he locked her in this cage.

A vicious smile appeared on Lucian's face. "I do," he replied, "but the real question is – _how hungry are you?_"

"What do you …" Understanding came to Magda as the lycan rolled up his sleeve and he presented her his upturned hand and bare wrist. She pressed back against the wall and shook her head in mingled horror and disgust.

Lucian didn't know which emotion amused him more. "No?" he asked, laughing.

"I won't," she said, adamant.

Lucian sneered. "Not today, perhaps, but in a few days you'll change your mind." He was certain of it, certain this pale creature had never known hunger. She'd probably never fasted for more than half a day – until now.

Lucian rose from his seat and headed for the door. "I'll check back with you tomorrow. Maybe by then you'll have changed your mind."

Magda's fear rose with his words. He would starve her unless she drank from him? "Why?" Magda asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Lucian halted in the doorway and leaned against the frame. He shrugged. "Maybe I enjoy the feel of a woman's teeth sinking into my flesh," he said, then laughed. "Or maybe I want to see the look on Soren's face when he learns his goddess drank from my veins." The idea brought Lucian the most genuine feeling of amusement he'd known in a long time.

He turned away then, and closed the vampire in her cell. Locking the door behind him, he continued on to check on his guards.

Magda unfolded herself from the corner when she could no longer hear the lycan's boots. Her stomach and veins ached dully with hunger but she could not give in. The very idea was … not worth dwelling on at the moment. Dropping her legs off the side of the bed, Magda leaned over and reached for the towel and water. She spent a long time washing the dirt and dried blood from her face, neck, and hair but no matter how hard she scrubbed, she could not make herself feel clean.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 **

Nathaniel washed the blood from his friend's face with unnecessary gentleness. Thomas was dead and would never feel anything ever again, but that didn't stop Nathaniel from taking extra care. When the body was clean, Rigel handed him the funerary shroud. The two warriors continued to prepare their friend for the pyre in silence, when the door opened and Selene entered the chamber. She crossed the room to where Thomas lay and placed a hand on his cold, lifeless shoulder. Selene said a silent prayer over her fallen comrade before she turned to Nathaniel. She knew the two of them had been friends since before they were vampires. They had been turned together, centuries ago.

"It doesn't make any sense," Nathaniel said without looking up from his task.

"I know," Selene replied. "He was a great warrior." She hoped her words would be some comfort, but Nathaniel shook his head.

"That's not what I meant," he said.

Selene was confused. She frowned. "What then?"

Nathaniel lifted his eyes from Thomas' face. He shifted his gaze to Rigel for a moment and then both set their eyes on Selene.

"What?" she repeated, their strangeness sparking concern.

It was Rigel's turn to speak, for it was he who had tracked the lycan scent out from the alleyway. "It was an ambush," he explained. "There were signs on the roof. The lycans were waiting for them."

Selene's mouth opened slightly in surprise. In days of old, when the lycans were bold and far greater in number, planned attacks on the Death Dealers were common – not so anymore. "Why go to so much trouble? If they wanted to capture a Death Dealer…"

"I don't think that was their intent," Nathaniel said, interrupting her. "Alexi and Thomas were ripped apart. They went for the throat and the heart – killing blows. They weren't looking to take either man alive."

"But they took Magda," Selene added, confused. "Why? They'd have to have known she wasn't a warrior." It didn't make any sense. Like the Death Dealers, lycans never took prisoners unless they wanted information. "Magda is nothing. What would be the point in taking her?"

Rigel and Nathaniel shared a look of exasperation. "You know, you can be a bit dense sometimes," Rigel said and his lip twitched with the beginnings of a smile.

"Excuse me?" Selene crossed her arms defensively. She didn't care for Rigel when he turned his wit against her.

Nathaniel sought to ease the ambient tension. "Magda may not be worth the trouble," he explained, "but _Soren _may."

"Soren?" Selene repeated, unsure at first of what he meant. Understanding dawned on her slowly, but she had difficulty accepting it. Attacking Magda to get to Soren? It made sense, of course, except… "How would they even know who she is?"

Rigel shrugged. "Maybe one of the old ones picked up his scent on her and figured out who she belonged to."

Selene's eyes passed over the bodies of the dead – Thomas and Alexi – great warriors, dear friends. Was it possible they were merely in the way, and the attack was not about _them_ at all? "You truly believe they were after Magda the whole time?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense," Nathaniel said, his voice a mixture of anger and grief.

Rigel nodded in agreement. "And if someone was looking for a way to hurt Soren, they couldn't have picked a better target."

After witnessing the state Magda's disappearance had put Soren in, Selene couldn't help but agree. It was strange. She'd always felt a tiny bit of contempt towards Magda. For over a century, the woman had been little more than a slave to Soren's will. And Soren, well, he was a controlling bastard to say the least. But now, after all that had happened…

Nathaniel could see that Selene's thoughts troubled her and he interrupted her silent meditations. "What is it?" he asked.

"I always thought," Selene began, and then caught herself. She trusted Nathaniel and Rigel. They were her friends, but there were _some_ thoughts that were best not share to with anyone. After a moment's consideration, she decided it was acceptable to share her musings on Soren with them. "I always thought Soren was overly controlling when it came to Magda, obsessed even. She couldn't walk out the front door without two armed guards at her side."

Rigel laughed humorlessly. "Soren _is_ a control freak," he agreed, "but in Magda's case he has some reason. The lycans hate him, fear him. Many have fallen by his hand, and many more at the hands of the warriors he's led against them."

Selene sighed, and nodded. It was true. Soren was one of the few original Death Dealers left standing. It was only through caution and unparalleled control that he'd managed to survive so many ages of conflict. His name was known by all and that made him an obvious target for an enemy's devious plans. "Have you told Kraven about this yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," Rigel replied. "The briefing is in ten minutes."

Selene was surprised they'd waited to share this news, but part of her understood. There was nothing they could do for Magda at the moment. She was either dead or in the hands of lycans, and either way, Thomas and Alexi needed tending to.

* * *

Ten minutes later the Death Dealers gathered in Kraven's office. "You're sure about this?" Kraven asked, after Rigel delivered his report.

Rigel nodded. "I am."

Selene turned to Soren, who stood silent throughout the briefing. "Did you recognize anything in the alleyway?" she asked. "A scent?"

Soren shook his head slowly, his face a cold and unreadable mask. "No," he lied. And the assembly believed him.

Kahn stepped forward, then, and offered his advice. "We should step up patrols," he said to Kraven. "If there's a den in the area we have to destroy it."

Kraven pretended to consider the suggestion for a moment, and then nodded slowly. There was nothing he could do in this instance but agree. Lucian had forced him to it. It was his fault, after all. The lycans were sloppy. "Very well," he said, preparing himself to issue orders. "Kahn's team will take the northeast quarter, Selene's, the northwest, Daniel's, southeast, and Soren's southwest. Kill any lycan on sight. Team leaders will report back to me. I want this city cleaned up _before _Amelia arrives."

The Death Dealers nodded in unison. They were more than anxious for lycan blood, and none of them wanted to explain to Amelia _or _Marcus why they'd failed to keep the streets of Budapest safe. Kraven dismissed them with a nod, but called out to Soren before he fled.

"Soren, stay a moment," he said, and his lieutenant obeyed. The others, no doubt, thought he would take this moment to console Soren or tell him not to do anything foolish. If so, they were half right. When the doors were closed Kraven seated himself at his desk, and with a crooked smile, said of Rigel: "Insightful man – isn't he? It's unfortunate."

Soren nodded. "In this instance," he agreed, though under different circumstances he would have counted Rigel's keen nose and careful observations an asset.

Kraven tapped his desk with his fingers in a thoughtful fashion. "I'll let our _friend_ know about the increase in patrols," he said, unwilling to use Lucian's name even behind closed doors, "and that your men will be covering his sector."

Soren merely nodded in reply.

Kraven eyed the old warrior warily. He didn't need trouble. Not now, when he was so close… "I probably don't have to say this," he began, "but I will anyway. I don't want any lycans dying on your watch."

Soren's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. _Almost._ "Right," he replied.

"He'll know it was you," Kraven added in warning. "And you wouldn't want to put Madga in any more danger than she already is."

Soren breathed in and exhaled deeply fighting an inner battle in order to maintain his calm. He didn't need Kraven's lectures. He was angry – but not a fool. "Is that all?" he asked, indicating to his lord that their conversation was over, or at the very least, that _he _would say no more.

Kraven shook his head, dismissing the man. "You may go," he said and watched the old warrior disappear through the door. If there was one thing Kraven had learned when dealing with Soren over the centuries, it was when to stop pushing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Soren dispatched his team to the southwest quarter of the city and then left the mansion – alone. He needed time to think, somewhere far from Kraven and the rest of the coven. His rage burned within him, consuming him, but for the first time in fifteen hundred years he was unable to act. Kraven's orders. _Kraven_ … Soren wasn't convinced that all would end the way he planned. Lucian might be a dog, but that didn't make him a fool, and only a fool would turn his back on a traitor. It was Soren who felt like a fool. He was never fully convinced that backing Lucian was a smart plan, but he'd gone along with it and now he was paying the price for allying himself with the enemy.

"Fucking idiot," Soren cursed himself aloud. Not that it mattered. There was no one around to hear him. He was alone in the alley where Magda had been taken. The smell of blood and fear lingered, but it was faint now, old.

_You should've kept your pet on a shorter leash, if you were so concerned for her welfare._

The lycan's accusation echoed constantly in his mind, damning him. He wanted Lucian's blood, Raze's too, but he couldn't touch them, not as long as they had Magda.

He shouldn't have let her go, no matter how much she argued. He knew the wolves were in the city. He _knew_ there was danger, but Kraven had insisted on maintaining their routines. He didn't want to raise suspicions. But Soren could have come up with an excuse to keep her home, safe, with him. He should never have trusted Lucian to keep his word.

Soren breathed in Magda's scent. He rested a hand on the wall of the building where her head collided with the stone. It was then, as his fingers passed over the blood stained bricks that he realized he was being watched. Someone was standing behind him in the alley. He spun around, and in one fluid motion grabbed the creature by the throat and threw it across the alley into the opposite wall. The body crumpled to the ground with a hiss and a thud. Blue eyes glared at him from out a mop of jet black hair.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Soren barked as he advanced on the woman, and before she could climb to her feet he had her again by the throat, pinning her against the wall.

Selene was stunned by the impact of her body against the stone. Soren might be old, but his reflexes were sharp as knives. She grabbed at his hand, the one he had clamped around her throat, signaling to him that if he wanted an answer, he'd first have to loosen his grip.

Soren mastered his rage swiftly, embarrassed somewhat by his actions. He lowered Selene to the ground and released her, but did not back away. His eyes commanded her to speak.

Selene had lived long enough to learn when not to play games with Soren. "I thought I might pick up on something the others missed," she answered.

Soren wasn't buying the excuse. "You were following me," he accused her.

"That too," Selene added, knowing it would do no good to lie to the man.

"Why?" Soren asked, his anger rising. "Did Kraven send you to hound me?"

Selene had not been expecting _that_ question. "Kraven?" She laughed. "I'm not his dog – that's _your _job." As soon as the words were past her lips Selene regretted them. Calling the irate man a _dog _was not likely to improve his mood. She tensed, readying herself for an attack, but to Selene's surprise, Soren merely turned and walked away.

Straightening her coat, Selene followed a few steps behind. She watched Soren return his attention to the far wall and breathe in the cold night air. She inhaled as well. "The lycan's scent is fading," she said.

"Yes," Soren replied.

Selene watched him a moment longer, before making an accusation of her own_._ "You recognize it, don't you?" she asked. "The scent – you know who took her."

Soren said nothing. The slump of his shoulders answered for him.

Selene wanted to be surprised, but after the conversation she'd had with Rigel and Nathaniel, she wasn't. What she didn't understand was… "Why didn't you say anything?"

Soren's expression hardened. "It doesn't matter," he said and turned down the alleyway. He took two steps before Selene's mouth caught up with him.

"And here I was beginning to think you actually cared about her."

Soren rounded on her. Rage moved him, freeing his tongue. "Do not speak of things you don't understand!" he shouted. "One wrong move and she dies!" Soren caught himself then. Damn his temper! He could see it in Selene's eyes – he'd said too much.

"Then she's still alive?" Selene asked. No one had dared speak of the possibility during the briefing. It was a well known fact that a vampire was better off dead than in the hands of lycans. If Magda _was_ alive … Selene shuddered to think.

Soren collected his thoughts and did his best to rein in his passions. He made a mistake and now he had to deal with it. "I … believe she is," he said in answer.

"Then why aren't you tracking her?" she asked. If he'd told them of his suspicions, surely Kraven would have had the Death Dealers out in force, scouring the city – not just the four patrols.

Soren shook his head. "I'll never get close," he replied darkly. "He knows my scent."

_He? _So, Soren knew the lycan in the alley and the lycan knew him. That would be a problem, unless… "And what if it's not you," she said slowly, an idea forming in her mind. "What if _I _were to find him?"

Soren heard the offer in her words, but wasn't entirely convinced of her sincerity. Selene was no friend of his. Why was the woman offering to help him?

Selene grew impatient of the silence. "Give me something," she said, "anything. I can help you."

"Help _me_?" Soren sneered.

"Fine," Selene barked, "_Magda_ then."

"Why?" Soren asked. "You always despised her."

"That's not true," Selene replied, defensively. "If anything, I … pitied her." She knew her answer sounded terrible, even to her own ears, but now was not the time for pretense.

"Pitied her," Soren repeated the words. "Why? For suffering me?"

Selene bit her tongue. Soren wasn't going to make this easy, not that he had reason to. She decided on a more direct approach and chose her words accordingly. "Let's not pretend that _either_ of us likes the other – which is beside the point. Look," she said, "I don't know what past you have with this lycan, what secrets you're trying to hide, and I don't care. You can keep them."

"How noble of you."

Soren's voice dripped with sarcasm, but Selene chose to ignore it. "I'm offering to help you find her," she said.

Soren remained skeptical. There had to be a catch, something Selene wanted in return for her aid. "And what's in it for you?" he asked.

"Other than the chance to kill lycans?" Selene scoffed. She was a warrior, after all. It was a simple enough concept to grasp. _Why can't he just accept that I want to help? _

Soren always knew Selene lived for the kill. Vengeance was her purpose in life, the same as his. Her motives were reasonable, given what he knew of her...

The wheels of Soren's mind began to turn.

He couldn't capture Raze without endangering Magda's life – but Selene could. And then Soren would have him! The prisoner would have to be interrogated, wouldn't he? And _that_ was Soren's job. He wasn't worried about Raze revealing Kraven's treachery. Lucian's dog wouldn't spill his master's secrets or endanger his carefully laid plans. He wouldn't break easily, not Raze. And Soren would take his time. The lycan would die a slow and painful death and Kraven could do nothing to stop it!

"I don't want him dead," Soren said. "I want to _kill_ him, slowly, if at all possible. But the others … you can have them."

A small smile curled the edge of her lips. _Now they were getting somewhere. _

Soren noticed the smirk. He was as eager to begin as she, but needed to make one thing absolutely clear. "No one must know of this conversation," he said. "_No one_. If you breathe a word of this to Kahn or Kraven or anyone else, you'll find yourself on the funeral pyre beside Alexi and Thomas. Do you understand me?"

Selene didn't doubt Soren's sincerity. It was there in his eyes. He would kill her – Viktor and Kraven and the Council be damned. And for the first time Selene's curiosity was piqued, and she wondered what it was the Soren was hiding. Not that it mattered. It was too late now to change her mind, and after all, it was she who'd spent the last ten minutes convincing Soren to accept her aid. Selene nodded in answer to his threat.

With her agreement, Soren's tension melted away. He had an ally, of a sort, one who – unlike Kraven – he actually trusted to deliver Raze. "The lycan who was in this alley – I can draw you a likeness," he told her and beckoned for her to follow him. There was a notebook in his car, and knowing Selene, she'd want to start tracking Raze right away. With his scent and a picture it wouldn't take her long.

_First the dog, then its master. _

Soren smiled at the thought.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Magda lost track of the hours, the days that passed while she sat alone in her prison cell. To keep her mind occupied, she started counting the cracks in the ceiling and walls. After that, she tried pacing. She walked the narrow path between the cots more than three thousand times, before sitting down again. She sang songs and recited snatches of poems to herself. When her throat grew sore, she scratched designs into the concrete walls. The lonely monotony of her captivity was broken by one thing – Lucian. He had visited her three times since first offering her his arm. Five days without blood – and the hunger was beginning to take its toll. Her entire body ached. When she last stood, she'd cried out in pain and her legs gave out beneath her. Even worse, she was finding it more difficult to think. That was the reason it took so long to recognize the noise echoing in the hall...

Someone was screaming.

It was a horrible sound, high pitched, like a lamb at the slaughter. For a moment, Magda wasn't sure it was real, but then she smelled it – blood – _human_ blood. It was faint, but in her current state, maddening. She moved closer to the door, inhaling the musky air heavy with its scent. She could hear growling, too, and lycan voices, but couldn't make out what was said. Her people didn't feed on humans. The Covenant forbade it. But lycans had no code, no honor. Why should it surprise her that they would slaughter a human for food? Its screams sent shivers down her spine – not because she cared for the mortal's suffering, but because she worried for her own. She knew without question that the next person to make those terrible sounds might be her. She was mistaken.

The screams erupted again several hours later. They were a different pitch, and the smell that floated down the hall was distinct. The scent of blood made Magda's senses whirl and her mind reel. What could the lycans be doing out there? There were much better, safer ways to obtain blood, and it was unlikely the creatures she heard shrieking were enough to feed all the warriors tromping around this hell hole. Whatever they were doing, Magda was certain it couldn't be good.  


* * *

  
"That's the second one," Lucian spat. "You told me it would work!"

Singe stared calmly at his irate leader and addressed him evenly. "It will work," he answered, "_when_ we find a human with the right genotype."

Lucian growled in annoyance. He was tired of talk … tired of enzymes and assays and analyses. Thirty years Singe had worked on this 'project', experimenting and calculating, and it was now once again down to chance. _Science_, he sneered. It gave Lucian a migraine.

"We'll collect the next two candidates," Raze said from somewhere behind him.

Lucian shut his eyes and rubbed his temples in a vain attempt to ease the tension there. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, there was Kraven's most recent phone call. "Dawn's in a couple of hours," he called over his shoulder. "Wait until the Death Dealers are off the streets." There was no need to take any unnecessary risks so close to the Awakening.

Raze nodded once and left to find Trix.

Opening his eyes, Lucian glanced at the disemboweled corpse lying on the floor. He laughed – a short, humorless bark – then looked down at his bloody hands. It was the second time that day he'd lost control. He shouldn't have killed the prisoners. He should have turned them. They could always use more soldiers for the cause, and while Lucian hoped that they would soon see the end of this war, he was not beyond planning ahead. It was a waste, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Hopefully, the next time, there would be no reason for him to lose his temper. Lucian lifted a hand to his lips, ready to lick his fingers clean, when he remembered the vampire. He had yet to visit her today, and tormenting her was the only small joy he had left.

* * *

Magda shut her eyes, fighting the urge to throw herself at the door and rip it from its hinges. Not that she could, even if she wanted to. She was so hungry, but she had to be patient. She had to be strong. Very soon Soren would take her home. He promised he would. She believed him. Of course she did. He had never lied to her before. If only she could get a glimpse of the sky. The full moon, he said. How long until the moon? She'd been in this cell five days, or was it six? She couldn't remember.

The sound of boots told Magda she was about to have company. She breathed deeply, preparing herself for the beast's return. The door opened with a groan and Lucian stepped in. The first thing Magda noticed when he entered was the blood. It was on his hands and splattered across his shirt. It smelled divine. Magda trembled at the sight of it. She tore her eyes away from the bloody stains and fixed her gaze on the lycan's face. It was safer to focus her attention there. That damned smirk kept her anger at the fore, her hunger at bay, and gave her the strength to defy him. But looking at the lycan now, she spied dark circles under his eyes and tension in his form. The sight was not a comfort. He looked even more dangerous than usual, and yet, despite the obvious danger, the first words out of Magda's mouth were venomous.

"You feed on humans," she hissed.

Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly at her words. She was taking the offensive, which wasn't unusual. What _was_ unusual was the animalistic fury in her voice. She was on edge. The hunger was taking hold. He'd have to take care – even a starved vampire, frightened and cornered, could be dangerous.

Lucian seated himself. "Humans?" he said with mock innocence.

"I can smell its blood on you," she said.

"I'm sure you can," Lucian replied and lifted his hand, holding it out to her. "Would you like a taste?"

Magda shook her head.

Lucian shrugged and licked his fingers clean, slowly, savoring the taste. When he was finished, he returned his attention to Magda. "Four more days until your freedom is restored. Do you think you can wait that long?"

Magda's jaw clenched. Four days in this hole would feel like an eternity – and without blood – a living nightmare. But she had to hold on. It was only four days more. Four days. Four days? There was something … something else happening in four days, something, at the full moon. It took Magda's blood starved mind considerable time to make the connection, but once she did, a wave of horror washed over her.

"The moon … the Awakening." She gazed at Lucian, horrified. So many lycans, all gathered in one place… "You're planning an attack during the Awakening."

Lucian smiled and answered her with a small nod.

"Soren won't help you," she said.

Lucian laughed. "He already has," he replied, "for centuries." He leaned forward then, closer. "We just needed you to ensure he'd see it through to the end."

Magda shook her head in disbelief. She could fathom Soren doing something to save her, but betraying the coven, and for so long?

Lucian shifted himself so he sat closer to Magda. He lifted a hand to move a lock of hair that hid her face from view. She pulled away but with obvious effort.

Lucian frowned. "You're growing weaker. Aren't you hungry yet?"

Magda shook her head but the arms she instinctively wrapped around her stomach betrayed her.

"Here," he said. "I'll make it easy for you." Lucian drew a knife from his boot and ran the blade lightly across his wrist. Blood flowed freely from the wound and he held it out to her. He could practically feel her hunger. The sight of his blood caused her heart to pound furiously in her chest. The longing in her eyes was a disturbingly familiar sight. He, too, had felt that kind of hunger – for peace, vengeance, a long lost life. There was only one emotion in her gaze greater than hunger, and that was fear.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked. "I won't bite."

Her only reply was a bare toothed hiss.

Lucian laughed. She was a stubborn one, he had to admit. And it amused him to no end. He withdrew his arm and licked his wrist clean. The wound had already healed. "Is it Soren? Do you fear what he'll do when he finds out?"

There was a flash of something in her eyes that told him the answer was yes and he wondered, idly. "Afraid he'll hurt you?" It wouldn't surprise Lucian. Soren would have lost more than his life if he'd ever laid a hand on Sonja, but this woman whom he turned was a different matter entirely.

"Soren loves me," she replied.

Lucian smiled, fully aware that Magda had avoided the question. "Why wouldn't he? You're what he always wanted." He leaned back against the wall, watching her shift uncomfortably in her seat, though from his question or her growing hunger he could not tell. "Do you love him?" he asked, wondering what her answer would be.

"Of course," she replied without hesitation. Soren loved her. He chose her. He saved her from a life of sickness and aging and death. How could she not return his love? These were old thoughts, repeated many times over many years until they had, at last, become true.

"Why don't I believe you?"

Before Magda could respond a shadow appeared in the doorway. Raze stood there, blocking the light. How the great warrior could move so silently was still beyond Lucian's understanding.

"What is it?" he asked the larger man.

"Blane and Ford have returned," he replied.

There was no need for him to explain further. They were back from Tanis' place, with something special he and the exile had cooked up. A weapon that was sure to give his men an edge in the battle to come.

"Right," Lucian said, standing. To Magda he said, "Till tomorrow." Then he followed Raze out the door.


End file.
